(Note: This blog is coming in suuuuuper late, I actually left IGN a few weeks ago)

414 days. Oftentimes, the best (and worst) things in life take you completely by surprise. I'll never forget the moment my Mom called to tell me she was diagnosed with Stage IV inoperable cancer and probably had only months to live. My brain totally failed to fathom something so surreal. A few days before I learned my Mom would be stopping treatment, IGN called and asked me for an interview. Again, reality began to blur. I'll never forget pacing on the front lawn of my Aunt's house as Tal Blevins offered me a job to be a part of my dream company. In so many ways, it was one of the greatest gifts I could share with my mother before she passed. I knew to get to San Francisco, it would mean leaving behind everything I had known, including a family that shared my vulnerabilities.

Over the last 414 days, I became part of a new type of family. Like a family, we loved, we partied, we hugged. (Soooo many hugs) I grew to love my coworkers like brothers and sisters, and in so many ways, I felt like the new little brother. I loved that feeling. Thinking back on IGN, my favorite moments never had anything to do with the games themselves, but the family of wonderful people I got to share them with. But as so many of us know all too well in life, families don't always stay the same forever.

So why leave such an amazing place like IGN? Well, to start, being away from my own family has been incredibly tough, and I really feel like though I'm young, to be able to share my life with them is my top importance. It was one of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make in life. But deep down I knew it was the right time. I also knew that leaving IGN was far from the end of my journey into the games industry. Since before I can remember, I knew that getting to be a part of such a special industry was where I wanted to be forever. Words can't even describe how grateful I am to get to be a part of it, if for a year, for a decade, or for a lifetime. There is nowhere else I would rather be than spending my days with like minded people talking about why every Assassin's Creed game has to have a shoehorned cliffhanger at the end. That is my perfect.

I'm still constantly captivated by the intelligence, creativity, and openness of the MyIGN community. Watching the regulars like MaxFischer, LIT, DarkBlood, ThaBass, Angry, Chief Rocka, Matt The Marvel, and Siphen welcome in new members of the community, and constantly help each other as writers, gamers and people has been nothing short of incredible. Words cannot describe my experience at IGN. Words cannot describe my gratitude. Words cannot describe how utterly humbled I was by watching my IGN family grind it out day after day with an near impossible work ethic. Though my statement that Bioshock Infinite "transcends all mediums" became a running joke around the office, truthfully, my gratefulness for getting to be a part of something so amazing truly transcends any medium I could express it in. I do however, have a laundry list of thank you's.

Tal Blevins - Without you, I would not be here. Thank you so much for pulling me out of a terrible time in my life and giving me a shot at this IGN thing. You'll never know the extent of my gratitude. You're one of the most down to earth and downright generous people I have ever met. You not only embraced my crazy energy, but taught me so many things about how to make it constructive. Jamming out with you, Steve, Peer, Casey and Keza during E3 will go down as one of the best nights of my life. No matter where I go from here, I will be forever indebted to you for giving a high energy 23 year old a shot.

Steve Butts - I have learned so much from you. 90% of my favorite IGN memories involve sitting next to you on the 3rd floor. The comical banter, the Batman costumes, the Dentist Appointment. You've taught me so much not only about IGN, but about myself. You called me out when I needed to be called out, and you picked me up every time I fell. You always look at every situation from all perspectives and when you speak, your words cut into my soul every time. I'll say it flat out, you've got the most caring heart of any person I've ever met. IGN taught me how to be a better professional, you taught me how to be a better person.

Casey Lynch - We went from "who the hell are you?" to "Bro'ing the foam" seemingly overnight. Not only have you been my most trusted confidant, you've also been an incredible friend and mentor. You never made me feel like I had done something wrong, but rather showed me the ways that I could do it better. You sought to understand my motives in every situation, even when I sometimes didn't, and helped talk me through them to make sure I was making good decisions. You introduced me to half of the industry and constantly pushed for my well being. I can't thank you enough for that.

Peer Schneider - Working with you for a year, it's not hard to see what makes you such a great leader. It's incredibly clear how much passion and drive you have for success. I'll never forget watching you jam out on piano to "Where is my Mind" or watching you come by Anthony's desk day after day to try to ask Star Wars questions. Thank you so much for the opportunity to be a part of so many awesome things at IGN.

Eriq Martin - My partner in crime! Words cannot describe how lucky I am that we have become such close friends. Professionally or personally, there is NOTHING I haven't, or feel like I can't tell you. You always tell it like it is, even when the truth hurts. You helped push me out of my comfort zone to enjoy life so much more. I could write forever, but considering we talked like an hour ago, I feel like you get the idea.

Mitch Dyer - You my friend, get it. It's been so amazing to get to learn from you every day on how an actual journalist handles his business. I have the utmost respect for you both professionally and personally. Whether or not you realize this, you've always been there for me when a needed a friend the most. Struggling with the loss of a parent brought me to some weird places emotionally, but you were always there with a welcoming attitude and a helpful hand. You went from guy I tried to bond with over the Red Bull space jump to truly one of my most trusted friends and confidants. I'm truly excited to watch you succeed in life.

Greg Miller - The one and only Greg Miller. It's been so amazing to get to work so close to you everyday and see just how passionate and driven you are at your craft. You pretty much set the standard for what it means to have an unstoppable work ethic. Not only that, but your generosity knows no boundaries. You helped me truly discover my passions in the industry and helped me pursue them. You were a hero to me as an IGN reader, and you're an even bigger hero to me now as an IGN alum.

Ryan Clements - I wish I got to work with you more, but in the short time you did work next to me, I learned so much. You taught me to turn my excitement and energy into constructive applications and helped me control myself every time I felt my frustrations were going to boil over. Thanks for being so compassionate.

Joseph Kartje - That magical beard. Man, for awhile it felt like you, Eriq, and I were going to be the ultimate Triforce at IGN. In some ways, we are such different people, but insanely, those differences have made us fantastic friends. When I think about my favorite days at IGN, I think about the days when you would AIM me a joke, and I could turn around and see a giant bushy red beard and big yellow headphones. I'll never forget IPL, holy shit did we have a blast. #ParkerYolo

Eric Sapp - My PLUR partner. So glad you and Katie moved over to our side of the building and we got to be such good friends. You're creative talent is as boundless as your epic beard. Plur on buddy.

Jon Ryan - US OF JR.I would probably vote for you for president if given the chance.

Mark Ryan - You are the coolest cucumber I have ever met. I'm pretty sure we could be in the middle of the zombie apocalypse and you would still be laid back. If you look up TCB in the dictionary, there is most likely a picture of you.

Katie Kasarda - ERMAGERD you're the best. You are hands down one the sweetest and most genuine people I've ever met. It's truly been a pleasure getting to know you. Seeing others happy truly makes me the happiest, and seeing you happy even goes beyond (BEYOND) that. I'll forever be one of your biggest fans.

Leah Westphalen - I was going to write a long heartfelt thank you, but I wrote so many blurbs for you, I feel like that should count! Getting to know you in the last few months was truly a pleasure. Also, you owe me like 40 dollars in pennies.

Shannon Stevens - Again, you're another defector from the other side of the building I'm ecstatic I got to work with. Watching you and Erik Harte work miracles has been incredibly insightful and watching your reactions to my spontaneous singing was incredibly fun.

Winson Shuen - WINS. You are the best. Getting to know you has been awesome, and so was Korean BBQ. Thanks for being so welcoming and generous.

Brain Altano - You're one of the funniest and most clever individuals I've ever met. I always felt like, if I could make Altano laugh, than the joke was truly funny.

Naomi Kyle - You were the first person to introduce yourself to me! I can't even begin to express how awesome it's been getting to know you. You are one of the raddest people I've ever met. When I started dipping my toe into video stuff for IGN, you were so incredibly supportive and helpful. Thanks for always being there!

James Faulkner - You are a baller. No matter what they ask you to do, you kick the shit out of it, and never complain. I'm glad we got to become great friends.

Amarisse Sullivan: Working next to you for a few short months was awesome. We've had some incredibly deep conversations and you've helped me through a lot of decisions.

Mike Aransky - I got giddy every time someone said "Aransky is producing". I loved every second of working with you. You were always the ultimate straight man to my crazy guy. Don't ever throw those pieces of my shirt away.

Tim & Alfredo - Of course I grouped you. You guys are a spectacular duo and it's been so much fun watching you two work.

Dave Toole - Every time I broke something, you fixed it immediately. You could have just as easily let me fall flat on my face, but instead you helped teach me and guide me an all things technical. Thank you so much for that.

Bearded Mets Bro - How is my fantasy team doing?

Jason Getchell - You put me on my first news video and helped me discover some of my deepest passions. You're always calm demeanor was inspiring, especially when things got tense. I miss the days we worked next to each other. You're incredibly genuine and insanely talented. Getting to know you has been awesome.

Tate Fiebing - The most unexpected friendship I've ever had. You went from random IPL roomie to close friend pretty much immediately. As I picked your brain about your role at IGN, it became clear that you're going to be off the charts successful in life without even the slightest doubt. Your passion and intelligence is downright inspiring.

Destin "Knack for GOTY" Legarie - I hate to sound like a broken record, but you are a badass. I've never seen someone attack so much content with such creativity and energy. When you want to get something done, you're like the fucking Terminator. I've never seen an obstacle in your way that you haven't smashed through in route to your next big thing. We'll always have Vegas, Yo.

Christine Cain - You're fucking awesome. And I know there were probably a few times I wasn't the best at expressing that. I'm truly excited to watch you advance and grow in the industry and have zero doubt you're going to be successful in whatever you chose to do.

Erik Harte - Working with such a tight knit group of people, you never want to let any of them down, ever. Well, if there was one person I REAAAAAALLLLYYY didn't ever want to let down, it was you. You took a risk on letting me host E3 VIP, and I'll forever be indebted to you for that. You've drove me not to accept "pretty good" and constantly focus on how to improve professionally. Thanks.

Bob Fekete - We bonded over having similar hobbies, and then became fast friends. Coco was a blast. Keep the beard strong.

Gus Willets - Another unexpected friendship. I have so much love and respect for you Will Guyatt, you'll never even know. Not only are you in beast mode full time, but you balance that with being one of the most fun, easy-going and approachable people I've ever met. I never would have thought the English guy I bonded with over the Kuwata would become such a close friend and incredible mentor. Thanks for always having my back.

The IGN Community - Thank you so much for welcoming me and being so downright amazing. At the end of the day, the friendships I've made with members of the community has truly been the greatest blessing of my time at IGN. It still blows my mind how such an eclectic group of people can share their lives with each other simply though the connection of gaming. Bass, Max, Tom, Amber, Kallie, Anthony, Victor, Vergil, Siphen, Jamie, Jason, Jared and sooooooo many more people, thank you guys so much for being the best community in games.

So what's next for me? Well, I can't really talk about that just yet, but don't expect me to be going anywhere. My passion for games, the gaming community and the industry itself is at an all time high, and hopefully very soon I'll be able to talk about the awesome things I'll be doing next. Stay Tuned. (See Ubi, now that's how you do a cliffhanger)

I wanted to write something really quick about my thoughts on the BB finale.

I'd like to think I've seen a lot of great shows till their end, at least most of the ones that count. And every time, they miss something, or leave something (or everything) open to interpretation. And every time, the "this will have everyone talking" ending doesn't succeed in my book.

And while I feel like ending something ambiguously is a fantastic move to make in movies, it's not a very good way to end a TV show, especially one that you spend so much more time with. In the end, we want closure over everything.

And that's what Breaking Bad gave us last night, absolutely perfect closure.

Could there have been more twists and turns? Of Course. Could there have been more action, higher stakes? Sure. What we saw most of us expected. The real twists and turns happened episodes ago. We knew the ending, we just needed to watch it happen.

The strangest part of the finale though, was the realization, that I loved spending time with these characters more than any show I've ever loved.

They very intelligently chose to focus the finale on the characters themselves, rather than the predicament at hand. This was never a story about an island, or murderous robots, or white walkers... this was a story about people.

Will we debate the ending of the show as much as some of the more ambiguous endings in TV? Of course not.

But so what? In the end, we got exactly what we signed up for. The "Mr. Rogers becomes Scarface" story we all knew this was. And we got the ending we all expected.

It wasn't shocking, it wasn't life changing, but god dam, it sure was perfect.

NecronomiSean here! We're doing a Google hangout today on the Xbox release date announcement. Do you have something to say about the news? Has this changed your next-gen plans? We'll be chatting about all of these things and more. Want your voice heard? Email seallen@ign.com and you can be apart of the google hangout.

All you need is:

- A working laptop

- Internet

- A Google account

The show starts at 3PT so make sure you are available by 245PT for prep!

Hey you! Yes, you! Do you love contributing to the IGN community? Do you love creating and maintaining positive conversations on IGN.com? If you answered yes, we want you to join the IGN family! IGN is looking for article, wiki and video moderators to help develop and improve IGN's community and comment culture. But wait, there's more! Moderators won't just moderate our terms of service, but instead work alongside our community team to influence, grow and evolve our comment culture. Together we can make IGN not just a fantastic place for content but conversation as well.

What does that mean exactly?

As a moderator of IGN's articles you are responsible for upholding the pillars or truth and justice within our community. Making sure that no users are breaking our terms of service, making sure they feel comfortable, and encouraging healthy and open discussions across all of IGN. You may also turn into an Autobot and fight Decipticons for control of the universe, so there is also that.

Welcome to the very first blog in a new series I'm planning called "NecronomiSongs" (Get It? Because it's my name... with the word songs attached...) What is NecronomiSongs? Consider it your daily (or weekly) dose of music reviews, music news and all things jamming right now. Without further ado... My top ten albums of all time:

So I room with Mitch Dyer and quite often we carpool together into work. When we aren't complaining about not getting any dates and our sad and lonely lives, we are usually chatting about music. Over the past few months, Mitch has schooled me on some obscure Canadian musicians that I've never heard of.

Some really good, some really bad, all very Canadian.

So one day Mitch plays "Help I'm Alive" by Metric. I had heard the song a few times before while in college, but I never really checked out any other Metric songs. A week later, I had to drop a friend off at the airport at 4AM. As I drove back half asleep, I decided to put on the album "Fantasies" by Metric. The album hit me instantly and after about a month of listening to it end to end, I knew it was easily in my top ten. So that got me to thinking...What are my ten favorite albums of all time?

10. Metric - "Fantasies"

9. Supertramp - "Breakfast in America"

8. Daft Punk - Discovery

7. Ben Folds Five "Whatever and Ever Amen"

6. Kid Cudi - "Man on the Moon: The End of Day"

5. Deadmau5 - "For Lack Of A Better Name"

4. Pink Floyd "The Wall"

3. Kanye West - "The College Dropout"

2. Kendrick Lamar - "good kid, m.A.A.d city"

1. Pink Floyd - "Dark Side of The Moon"

And there you have it! As you can probably tell, my musical tastes are all over the place. What's your favorite album? What about your favorite ten? Leave a comment or write a blog and tell us!